Find a penny, pick it up. All day long, you’ll have good luck! Or, you can go on a penny date! That’s precisely what I did this morning after being unable to settle on a place to eat for breakfast and not wanting the endless supply of generic chain food. Starbucks and Panera get enough love. Besides, the penny date is way more fun than the frappuccino flavor of the week!

You or your friend or significant other picks a number between one and twenty. Flip the penny. Heads, you make a right and tails, you make a left. Each turn is made at each stop. For example, if you flip heads and you’re driving toward an intersection where the light is red, you make a right at that stoplight. The same goes for stop signs. The number you picked at the beginning of the drive is how many times you flip the penny before settling on a place for the “date” or destination.

PENNY DATE – BUT FIRST, SAFETY

Please note that I found that flipping the penny ahead of time avoids last-minute lane changes and dangerous driving. This was providing I could actually flip a coin. My first two pennies ended up underneath the car seats.

Third time was a charm! Our number was fifteen and at first, it seemed like we were driving in circles until our fourteenth flip sent us on a right turn. The fifteenth brought us to Burbank’s Magnolia and Victory Blvd intersection that looks like a car wash and car repair heaven. But we didn’t want a car wash. We were hungry!

We made a right and lo and behold, next to a popular jiu-jitsu training facility, was our penny date destination – Acai Jungle Café! A quaintly decorated café serving up everything from acai bowls to salads to the delicious egg and avocado panini I opted for. I also ordered a Bulletproof cold brew that was wonderful. Sometimes, the ice waters down the coffee, and this one did not.

Boogaloo pumped from the speakers putting me in a dancing mood. The line of eclectic looking clientele, young and old, grew out the front doors, spilling onto the sidewalk. We waited patiently for our Saturday brunch in their small, covered outdoor seating area, people watching and taking photos, enjoying this spontaneous find. After finishing our meals, I decided that the “penny date” would be the official go-to in times of indecision, which is often. Oh, and I left the penny on the table for someone to find and pick up, so all day long, he or she would have good luck!